New 360-Degree Photo Shows Latest View from Mars Rover Curiosity

Below:

Next story in Space

A new full-circle photo from NASA's Curiosity rover shows the
robotic explorer's fresh tracks on Mars as it continues trekking
east toward its first science destination.

Curiosity drove roughly 70 feet (21 meters) on Aug. 30, the
mission's 21st Martian day, toward a spot called Glenelg. This
site, which is located 1,300 feet (400 m) away from where the
rover touched down on Mars last month, is home to
three different types of terrain, making it an intriguing
science target.

Photos from Curiosity's navigation camera were stitched together
to create this 360-degree view of the Red Planet. Fresh
tracks from the rover's drive last week can also be seen
across the sprawling terrain.

It will take several weeks for Curiosity to reach Glenelg, and
the rover may make a stop to test functions on its robotic arm,
NASA officials said in an update last week. Once it reaches its
destination, Curiosity is expected to begin using its drill for
the first time.

On Sept. 1, Curiosity drove an additional 98 feet (30 meters) and
tested its "visual odometry" system, which enables the rover to
determine the distance it has traveled by analyzing its own
images, agency officials said. On its wheels, the rover has
imprints of the Morse Code symbols for "JPL" — the abbreviation
for California's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which houses
Curiosity's mission control. As the rover drives over Mars, it
leaves patterns in the Martian dirt that scientist can study to
calculate how far it has traveled.

Over the weekend, Curiosity also performed a test analysis using
its Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument, and collected a
sample of the Martian atmosphere with its Sample Analysis at Mars
instrument (SAM).

The $2.5 billion Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars Aug. 5
(PDT), is carrying 10 different science instruments and 17
cameras. The car-size rover is embarking on a two-year mission to
determine whether the Martian environment could ever have
supported microbial life.